The new Ford Taurus safety car for the TUDOR series. (Photo: Ford/IMSA)

Leading the field to the green at this weekend’s TUDOR race at Long Beach will be the new EcoBoost-Powered Ford Taurus SHO.

This new pace car signifies the beginning of a three-year agreement between Ford and the IMSA, with Ford now being the “Official Automotive Partner” of the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship and the Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge.

Mercedes may be dominant at the moment, but Mercedes GP Technical Executive Director Paddy Lowe expects the balance of power to change as teams and engine manufacturers pursue development over the course of the season.

Now, three months after his skiing accident in the Alps, media reports are coming through that Schumacher is responding to voices and making eye contact with others at the French Grenble University Hospital.